From the day we went into business in 1993, we’ve seen, read, and heard about many consumers who have been misinformed by other fitover sunglass companies in the industry. We’ve decided to address the most common and most misleading statements made by competitors and media over the past 20+ years. We would like to see our customers (and the industry as a whole) informed about the facts around these statements, as well as how our position in the market has evolved since the early 90’s. Below you will find common fallacies that “the other guys” say, followed by hard facts and our brand’s position on these statements. Enjoy!
The other guys say:
We offer the most frame, lens and color options in the fitover sunglass industry.
Jonathan Paul® says:
While other fitover sunglass companies may offer many combinations of frame and lens color options, they usually are calculating this from less than 10 different designs by combining different lens colors with basic frame color options within their handful of size styles. Meanwhile, when we say we have the largest offering of fitover sunglass styles, we are referring to 25 unique style options all containing at least 3-6 different frame color options and 2-4 lens color options. This creates over 150 unique fitover sunglass styles. And while we do have 5 sizing categories, XS-XL, each of our 25 styles are different sizes, meaning that we don’t just have 5 sizes, we have 25 sizes in order to accommodate any and all prescription eyewear frame.
The other guys say:
All fitover sunglass temples/arms should be adjustable; any other kind of temple is cheating the consumer from a ‘proper’ fitover sunglass and will eventually become uncomfortable.
Jonathan Paul® says:
This is simply an opinion. Jonathan Paul® only carries non-adjustable temples and we believe that these are the best option – Here’s why: First, we design our fitover sunglasses with JP Scout Fit Temples meaning that the arms or temples go straight back without curving down and therefore do not interfere with your prescription eyewear frames at all. Secondly, some adjustable temples need to be reshaped or adjusted so often that it can become a constant inconvenience to the customer. Lastly, adjustable frames can trick consumers into buying fitover sunglasses that may be too large for them by allowing them to hook the temples behind their ears. This can cause people to end up with ill-fitting sunglasses and a lot of pain from friction on their eyeglass temples. We only offer non-adjustable scout fit temples because they help consumers avoid contact between the fitovers and their glasses and it keeps our selection true to size, as proper fitting fitover sunglasses should stay snug on your head without adjusting the temples.
The other guys say:
“Up to 70% of light that reaches the eyes can be reflected off surfaces below the eye-line.” Therefore, the brow bar and sides should extend below the lenses to create a barrier under the eye. Without protection below the eyes, you are only getting half of a fitover and the performance is ‘severely diminished’.
Jonathan Paul® says:
We’ve actually seen other fitover sunglass companies use this un-cited statistic to scare consumers into believing that an underside bar is a must when shopping for fitovers. It’s likely that this fitover executive read a common statistic showing that 70-80% of sunlight from the sky can be reflected off of snow and accidentally misrepresented it. While that is a large statistic, it only applies to snow, while only 10% of sunlight reflects off of soil, grass, and water, and 15% off of sand. (You can view sources for these percentages here: [one][two][three][four])
Aside from properly presenting statistics when explaining the importance of wrap-around sunglasses to consumers, we feel it’s important to be transparent about what you’re selling and the facts around their features. Many other fitover sunglass companies, including some featuring underside bars, say they believe that the eyes should be protected from all angles, however they also produce and profit from clip-ons or flip-ups that only protect your eyes from the front and can damage eyewear lenses. At Jonathan Paul® we pride ourselves in the fact that we only sell fitover sunglasses. By doing this we can guarantee that all of our efforts go into the quality of our product and we are able to stay true to our company values when it comes to our product benefits. No, we don’t feature an underside bar because, well, we sell sunglasses, not goggles. Jonathan Paul® Fitovers are fitover sunglasses designed to protect eyeglass wearers and look like regular sunglasses. Therefore, we believe that our fitovers should do just that – not fully enclose your glasses like a goggle. In order to incorporate this feature, all styles would have to be so similar they would be almost the same shape, which would cut down variety in style (and sizing!) options.
The other guys say:
Without an underside bar, prescription frames will not fit correctly or will stick out below the fitover frame.
Jonathan Paul® says:
We understand people’s concerns when it comes to glasses sticking out the bottom of a fitover – nobody wants that. To combat this issue, we have numerous sizing guides available and are happy to help people size their glasses via our customer service department – although our sizing guides work perfectly when used as directed. If sizing ever does fail, we have a streamline process to exchange ill-fitting frames for a more comfortable, yet still snug, fit. Under no circumstance will we ever intentionally cheat our customers out of the perfect fit. Forcing customers to fit their glasses style within a goggle-like fitover designed with underside bars can mean selling a fitover much too large even if the consumer’s frame may have been just perfectly aligned with the lower bar. With all of this in mind, we allow consumers to keep the style and look of a regular sunglass without being forced into sizing categories much too large for their face.
The other guys say:
Fitover sunglasses without side lenses look great and much like fashion sunglasses but are not professional grade fitovers and do not provide a protective environment for the eyes. Uneducated consumers think they look great but don’t understand what to look for in a fitover sunglass. If non-side lens options expand the sides enough to cut UV rays, their temples interfere with peripheral vision and cause a tunnel effect. Therefore, only fitovers with side lenses provide adequate protection and when shopping: the bigger the better.
Jonathan Paul® says:
These biased statements couldn’t be further from the truth, with the exception of the comments on appearance – they do look great and like fashion sunglasses! Consumers, regardless of educational training, tend to know what they want (hint: it’s not usually big fitovers, but stylish ones) and if they don’t, they rely on industry professionals to provide unbiased, factual suggestions based on consumer needs. Jonathan Paul® provides 12 styles without side lenses and 13 styles with side lenses and never once have we received a complaint about the environment they create for consumers’ eyes. For our models without side lenses, we do try to extend the sides without compromising the consumers’ fashion-focused desires. With that being said, we find that while the temple sides are smaller than traditional fitovers with side lenses, they are more protective than traditional sunglasses. In regards to the threat on peripheral vision or the possibility of tunnel vision: we cannot speak for other fitover sunglass companies, but our fitover styles without side lenses are so similar to regular sunglasses that these issues are as prevalent for us as they are for your normal sunglass companies. To put it simply, if you have no issues with peripheral and tunnel vision in regular sunglasses, you will love all of our fitover styles. However, if you do prefer polarized side lenses with 100% UVA/UVB protection, we have 13 uniquely sized styles of those, too.
The other guys say:
The function of a fitover is the single most important aspect. The attraction of embellishments and coloring often leaves people evaluating the fitover as they would a sunwear fashion accessory. They’re not fashion accessories. It can’t deliver the sort of environment needed to work well if it looks just like a regular sunglass. For an optical or professional grade fitover sunglass to perform well they can’t be designed as a regular fashion sunglass.
Jonathan Paul® says:
We agree that function is the first priority when buying fitover sunglasses, or any sunglasses for that matter. However, many other fitover sunglass companies see function and fashion as opposing values in this industry; we see function AND fashion rather than function vs. fashion. The idea that a high quality fitover sunglass cannot be fashionable is an old, outdated and uninventive way of thinking. Why can’t you have ALL of the functionality of an optical or professional grade sunglass AND the fashion of a designer brand sunglass? You can! Fitovers with the same, if not better, functionality of other optical grade fitover sunglasses can incorporate fashion and they do exist at Jonathan Paul® Fitovers. The fact of the matter is that people need fitovers because they like to or have to wear their glasses and still need sun protection. Whether they find contacts to be too irritating, clip-ons to be unfashionable, or prescription sunglasses too expensive, eyeglass wearers are entitled to the same sunwear accessories as anyone else. When considering the consumer as they should, fitover sunglasses are in fact sunwear fashion accessories to them. They don’t need to or want to be treated any differently than other consumers and giving them a functional fitover with no attempt at fashion is not addressing consumer needs. With that being said, if a consumer is looking for a plainer, function-focused fitover sunglass, we carry matte and subtle/solid colors in our line as well.
Other brands refer to fitovers with side lenses as “functionally-focused” and dismiss the idea of fitovers with side lenses as being capable of looking great. We bring fashion to the fitover industry in both of our side lens options, leaving the type of function up to the consumer. Even our fitovers with side lenses offer a large variety of frame and lens color offerings, allowing people to show their unique personality through style while wearing JP Fitovers. We also believe in putting function first while manufacturing and designing fitovers for eyeglass wearers; that’s why the functionality and quality of our fitovers are not only comparable to other brands but exceed them in many ways. Then, after we’ve made sure that our products are of the utmost quality, regardless of cost, we add in the fashion. We offer 44 frame colors, 8 lens colors, and 25 uniquely designed and sized fitover styles. While other brands may provide more combinations of only 6-10 styles, we offer 150+ unique fashions among our 25 styles.
The other guys say:
TR90 plastic frames are harder and more likely to damage prescription glasses while Nylon12 frames are softer, more flexible and comfortable.
Jonathan Paul® says:
Although Nylon 12 frames may be softer and more flexible; the comfort level of a fitover depends on the sizing, shape, and weight. Nylon 12 frames tend to weigh more than TR90 and while it may be very slight to one’s hand, it makes a huge difference when they’re sitting on your glasses, on your face. Customers have also voiced outrage over the ‘stickiness’ of Nylon 12 frames which is not an issue occurring with TR90 frames. In fact, TR90 frames are often used in the optical industry for their light weight, flexible durability and traits allowing them to be painted unique colors while never becoming sticky or too bendable. When a TR90 fitover frame uses scout fit temples and is sized correctly to one’s face, the hardness has no effect as it should not come into contact with glasses underneath. Frame type should be left to the consumer preference while industry leaders provide all of the facts around materials.
The other guys say:
We are the “Market Leader” & we “set the standard in fitover eyewear,” as we are the benchmark of the fitover sunglass category.
Jonathan Paul® says:
While it’s true that some other fitover sunglass companies may have fantastic fitover sunglasses when it comes to utility use, Jonathan Paul® takes the lead in the industry when it comes to offering the whole package. Not only does Jonathan Paul® offer Superior Optical Grade fitovers but we are the true benchmark of the category because we provide such a high-quality, Superior Optical Grade fitovers with fashion. We are the only fitover sunglass brand that offers such a large variety of unique styles. Others claim to offer the biggest selection by offering basic lens and frame combinations; meanwhile, Jonathan Paul® designs fitovers in trending styles such as wayfarer, cat eye, oval, and many more shapes and sizes that are all uniquely hand-painted. Not only do we offer fitovers that look like regular sunglasses (in sizes for children, too!), we take eye protection seriously by only providing the best quality fitover materials and do not try to make an extra buck selling sunwear that puts eyes at risk, such as clip-ons and flip-ups.
Jonathan Paul® bridges the gap between Fashion and Function
Not only do we offer Superior Optical Grade fitover sunglasses, we have created our own category by introducing a new fitover that provides consumers with function AND fashion. We’ve bridged the gap between traditional fitovers, which focus only on function, and prescription sunglasses that caters to individuals’ need to express their personality through fashion.
It’s true that many fitover sunglass companies consider us their competition, as they should. Although we make similar products, Jonathan Paul® has evolved into our own category, free of any true competitors. If you are considering another fitover sunglass company or prescription sunglasses, take a look at how we stack up, you won’t be disappointed.
